stuff

1 of 2

noun

1
: materials, supplies, or equipment used in various activities: such as
a
obsolete : military baggage
2
: material to be manufactured, wrought, or used in construction
clear half-inch pine stuffEmily Holt
3
: a finished textile suitable for clothing
especially : wool or worsted material
4
a
: literary or artistic production
b
: writing, discourse, talk, or ideas of little value : trash
5
a
: an unspecified material substance or aggregate of matter
volcanic rock is curious stuff
b
: something (as a drug or food) consumed or introduced into the body by humans
c
: a matter to be considered
the truth was heady stuff
long-term policy stuff
d
: a group or scattering of miscellaneous objects or articles
pick that stuff up off the floor
also : nonphysical unspecified material
conservation and … all kinds of good stuff Eric Korn
6
a
: fundamental material : substance
the stuff of greatness
b
: subject matter
a teacher who knows her stuff
7
: special knowledge or capability
showing their stuff
8
a
: spin imparted to a thrown or hit ball to make it curve or change course
b
: the movement of a baseball pitch out of its apparent line of flight : the liveliness of a pitch
greatest pitcher of my time … had tremendous stuffTed Williams
9
stuffless adjective

stuff

2 of 2

verb

stuffed; stuffing; stuffs

transitive verb

1
a
: to fill by packing things in : cram
the boy stuffed his pockets with candy
b
: to fill to satiety : surfeit
stuffed themselves with turkey
c
: to prepare (meat or vegetables) by filling or lining with a stuffing
d
: to fill (something, such as a cushion) with a soft material
e
: to fill out the skin of (an animal) for mounting
2
a
: to fill by intellectual effort
stuffing their heads with facts
b
: to pack full of something immaterial
a book stuffed with information
3
: to fill or block up (something, such as nasal passages)
4
a
: to cause to enter or fill : thrust
stuffed a lot of clothing into a laundry bag
b
: to put (a ball, a puck, etc.) into a goal forcefully from close range
5
used in the imperative to express contempt
if they didn't like it, stuff 'emEric Clapton
often used in the phrases stuff it and get stuffed
6
: to stop (a ballcarrier) abruptly in a football game
stuffed the runner just short of a first down

Examples of stuff in a Sentence

Noun She got out the cooking stuff to bake some cookies. computers, word processors, and stuff like that I need a place to store my stuff. Pick that stuff up off the floor. Verb The boy stuffed his pockets with candy. She stuffed the laundry bag full.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
So yeah, no, this was some real Mission Impossible stuff. Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 20 Mar. 2024 But the stuff that’s inside of us is also mostly empty. Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 Zayn Malik Recalls Saving Harry Styles from 'Really Dangerous' Pyrotechnic Mishap at One Direction Concert On Sunday in New York, Styles, 30, stepped out with girlfriend Taylor Russell while carrying the black bag — packed to the top with his stuff. Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024 With the Glen stuff, with Michael Avenatti, with the people that failed her in her childhood — all this created this mechanism for her not to be believed, and the American public also thought that she shouldn’t be believed. Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2024 Related article Pop art in the age of the Kardashians: Why Andy Warhol still matters Pop has become synonymous with the stuff of shop shelves and self-promotion. Christian House, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 My overwhelming impression was of stuff, everywhere, any individual mystique diluted by the sheer exhausting quantity of it all. Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 Apologies if that gave you any trouble, but getting better at crosswords is a long process of not knowing stuff, followed by then knowing said stuff. Sam Corbin, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024 There’s all kinds of subjective stuff that happens. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024
Verb
The latest seasonal dishes include an Onsen tamago-style egg served with potato foam, and cabbage stuffed with Jerusalem artichoke and hazelnuts. Kate Maxwell Lindsey Tramuta Reggie Nadelson Gisela Williams Roxanne Fequiere Siska Lyssens, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Instead, there was an immediate elimination challenge with the chefs divided into three groups: soup, stuffed pasta and roast chicken. Buddha Lo, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024 They're usually made with an all-white plain fabric that looks fine enough on its own, but is also smooth enough to be stuffed inside a duvet cover. Nena Farrell, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2024 Examples are eggs, avocados and toast, overnight oats, Greek yogurt bowls, protein waffles and burritos stuffed with beans and eggs. Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 The meat is stuffed into Garden of Eatin’ taco shells that were warmed in the oven. Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 7 Mar. 2024 White tights stuffed with socks, tutus and an orange pepper blossomed into Björk’s infamous swan frock from 2001. Max Berlinger, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024 After days of agony, success is a room of people glancing at Lizzy’s work while stuffing their gullets with cheese. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 The seat and back cushions are stuffed with foam and the 22-inch wide seat offers plenty of room to settle into that plush comfort. L. Daniela Alvarez, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stuff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English stuff, stuffe "military supplies, provisions, household goods, building material, fabric, filling of a pastry," borrowed from Anglo-French estuffe "provision, stock," noun derivative of estuffer, estoffer "to furnish (with supplies, arms), fill" — more at stuff entry 2

Verb

Middle English stuffen, stoffen "to furnish, equip (with arms, provisions), fill, cram full," borrowed from Anglo-French estuffer, estoffer (also continental Old French), probably borrowed from Old High German stophōn "put (something into something), cram full," going back to West Germanic *stoppōjan-, whence also Old English -stoppian, in forstoppian "to stop up, close completely" — more at stop entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of stuff was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near stuff

Cite this Entry

“Stuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stuff. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stuff

1 of 2 noun
1
: supplies or equipment that people need or use
2
: writing, conversation, or ideas often of little or temporary worth
3
: something mentioned or understood but not named
sold tons of the stuff
4
a
: basic part of something : substance
the stuff of greatness
b
: body of knowledge
teachers who know their stuff
5
a
: actions or talk of a particular kind
how do they get away with such stuff
b
: special knowledge or ability
a person who has the right stuff will do well here

stuff

2 of 2 verb
1
a
: to fill by or as if by packing things in
was stuffing her pockets with candy
b
: to eat too much
don't stuff yourself with pizza
c
: to fill with a stuffing
stuffed the pillow
2
: to fill with ideas or information
stuffed their heads with facts
3
: to fill or block up
a sore throat and stuffed nose
4
: to put or push into something especially carelessly or with little concern
stuffed the clothes into the drawer
stuffer noun

Medical Definition

stuff

transitive verb
: to choke or block up (as nasal passages)
a stuffed up nose

More from Merriam-Webster on stuff

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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